Start (command) explained

In computing, start is a command of the IBM OS/2,^[1] Microsoft Windows^[2] and ReactOS^[3] command-line interpreter cmd.exe^[4] (and some versions of COMMAND.COM) to start programs or batch files or to open files or directories using the default program. is not available as a standalone program. The underlying Win32 API is .

The command is also one of the basic commands implemented in the Keyboard Monitor (KMON) of the DEC RT-11 operating system.^[5] The TOPS-10^[6] and TOPS-20^[7] operating systems also provide a start command. It is used to start a program in memory at a specified address.

Other environments

• Typical Unix shells (bash, etc.) have no built-in registry of file types and associated default applications. Linux command-line tools with similar functions include xdg-open^[8] and run-mailcap.
• On Cygwin, the command is implemented as the executable.^[9]
• In PowerShell, the Invoke-Item cmdlet is used to invoke an executable or open a file.^[10]
• On Apple macOS and MorphOS, the corresponding command is [[Open (process)|open]].^[11]
• On Stratus OpenVOS it is start_process.^[12]

Syntax

Windows, ReactOS

start ["title"] [/D path] [/I][/B][/MIN][/MAX][/WAIT] [command/program] [parameters]"title" Title of the window.

Path Specifies the startup directory.

I Use the original environment given to cmd.exe, instead of the current environment.

B Starts the command or program without creating any window.

MIN Starts with a minimized window.

MAX Starts with a maximized window.

WAIT Starts the command or program and waits for its termination.

command Specifies the parameters to be given to the command or program.

Examples

Windows, ReactOS

C:\>start notepad file.txt

C:\>start "C:\My Music\My Song.mp3"

C:\>start www.wikipedia.org

See also

• Run command

Further reading

• Book: Kathy Ivens. Brian Proffit. 1993. OS/2 Inside & Out. Osborne McGraw-Hill. 978-0078818714.
• Book: Frisch, Æleen. 2001. Windows 2000 Commands Pocket Reference. O'Reilly. 978-0-596-00148-3.

External links

• start | Microsoft Docs

Notes and References

1. Web site: JaTomes Help - OS/2 Commands . 2019-07-06 . 2019-04-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#START . dead .
2. Web site: MS-DOS and Windows command line start command.
3. Web site: Reactos/Reactos. GitHub. 3 January 2022.
4. Web site: Start . Microsoft Learn . 2021-11-12 . 2023-11-22.
5. Web site: Rt-11 Help File . 2018-07-16 . 2018-07-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041552/http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#START . dead .
6. Book: TOPS-10 Operating System Commands Manual . August 1980 . Digital Equipment Corporation . 2019-02-17 . 2020-08-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200809145058/http://scandocs.trailing-edge.com/tops10-aa-0916d-tb.pdf . dead .
7. Web site: TOPS-20 Command manual. 2018-07-18. 2020-08-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20200809103116/http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf. dead.
8. Web site: XDG-utils.
9. Web site: cygstart man page on Cygwin . www.polarhome.com.
10. Web site: Start - Start a program - Windows CMD - SS64.com. ss64.com.
11. Web site: Shell Commands/Open - MorphOS Library . 2024-07-11 . library.morph.zone.
12. Web site: OpenVOS Commands Reference Manual . Stratus Technologies Bermuda, Ltd . 2017.